What You Have to Buy Next Time You’re at City Market

Shopping local has never been so groovy.

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For those who don’t know, City Market is Burlington’s favorite locally owned grocery store. The range of local, organic, and conventional products make you feel like you’re at a farmer’s market on crack, and the friendly staff always make shopping here a pleasure.

If you’ve been intimidated by the nickname “City Markup,” or just haven’t branched out in your grocery shopping endeavors, here are the five essential purchases in Burlington’s City Market:

Produce

Photo by Jasper Xingyuan Wei

Whether you must have organic, or can settle for conventional like the rest of us, City Market has it all. With a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, this is your one stop shop for any and all produce needs. The best part is the signage that tells you when different things are local, organic, conventional, etc.

Bulk Foods

Photo by Jasper Xingyuan Wei

A college student’s dream is cheap food. That’s where City Market’s bulk section comes in. No matter what, if it can be sold in bulk, you can find it here; from spices and teas to candy and nuts, this bulk section has it all.

Prepared Foods

Photo by Jasper Xingyuan Wei

If you’re in a rush and need a meal fast, or just never learned how to cook, then you should check out the prepared foods section. While certainly not cheap, the quality and convenience of this section make it 110% worth it.

If you’re stopping by for lunch or dinner, check out the hot bar and the sandwich counter. Both are equally guaranteed to please a hungry college student.

Anything From the “Hippie Cooler”

While the name of the aisle itself is incredibly true to Vermont, the products inside go well with the earthy crunchy vibe that Vermonters tend to have. Essentially this is a case full of hummus and meat substitutes, making it a popular stop in many UVM students’ grocery excursions.

If tofu isn’t quite your jam, this cooler still has some awesome options of local hummus, and other meat-free snacks.

Alcohol

Photo by Jasper Xingyuan Wei

City Market’s alcohol aisle is perfect for those who feel like acting a little more grown up and classy than they are. They offer tons of local wine and craft beers, like Heady Topper, which they stock up on every Tuesday. If you are 21+ and have yet to check this aisle out, I highly recommend it.

Kombucha

Photo by Rena Meisler

Since Kombucha is literally nicknamed “Hippie’s Beer,” City Market, naturally, has to have it’s very own Aqua Vitea Kombucha tap; which is microbrewed locally in Bristol, VT. The tap has 6 different flavors of Kombucha, which you can fill up in a glass bottle or your own container from home.

While many students are scared away by rumored high prices, City Market is certainly not comparable to similar stores in the area. The quality of food and variety of options definitely make a big difference. No matter what you buy, City Market always seems to do it right.